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Funny IL! So far I have received 4 gifts from out of town friends that we have been friends forever and I don’t expect anymore. They were all thoughtful gifts that I will enjoy. 2 of the gifts were handmade which I love.

I belong to several organizations, and each one feels compelled to have a holiday event involving exchanges of physical objects. If I were going to a white elephant/Yankee swap event, this framed treasure I got in an exchange would be great:

But this was given to the group pile as a serious gift. I guess. It is probably the fragment of a great grandmother’s hand embroidered apron, but I aint keeping it.

To the right is a small tube of Burt’s Bee’s lotion, a useful item. I didnt show all of the stuff in the haul from this particular party, just the best and the worst.

This all comes at an especially bad time because I am cleaning out loads of crap feom our attic. I am in de-clutter mode in a major way and take these stupid objects as a personal affront. Not the most mentally healthy way to view them, I know. Just relax Iris. Ooooommmmm.....

Yeah that picture is stupid. If you pass a thrift store on the way home from these events just make a quick stop). I did forget on Xmas day the party at my house includes a white elephant gift. But only one each and because we can steal or swap most people end up happy with what they get. That’s great that you are in decluttering mode!

Um. Even the hoarder says you can get rid of that picture! Although, maybe you could use the frame for something...

we are on the annual quest quest to find gifts for dh parents that cost the right amount of money to fake the correct level of affection. This is made not easier by the fact that they have everything they need, can easily buy anything they could possibly want and have no hobbies (except visiting new places in order to check them off their list of places they have visited), indulgences (entertainment or luxuries) or vices (food, alcohol, tobacco, sex) I found a book called “when your adult children disappoint you” but dh said no.

my mom is getting placemats that I know she will use and like but has not seen. My dad may be getting a garlic baker - I made it - if my mom thinks he will use it. Otherwise, he’s getting nothing. I will say “merry Christmas, I didn’t get you a present.” And he will say “thank you. Merry Christmas.”

dh is getting three months of trash service. With accessories. He wants to put a car lift in the garage. So I restarted the trash service and I am going to spend Thursday mornings from January until I finish (deadline end of march) bravely clearing out and organizing in the studio barn so that he can get a car lift in there.

also, he can throw away the can of trash he has filled in the 22 months we have had no trash service, and we can do a big cleanup of the yard. I think it’s a good present.

What type of lift and is the structure up for it (high enough ceiling and proper concrete)?

Years ago, me and my family had a bit of a falling out over Christmas. I was off of work half a year due to surgery and lived that year on $8000. Multiple members of the family, thought I should go into debt to buy everyone presents, "just like everybody else does". I put my foot down and said only the kids get presents, no one else, and I expect nothing from anyone.
Two years later, they understood and with the number of presents the kids got from other family members between the sets of grandparents, etc. I was asked to just give the kids money, so they could do something like movies in the summer, etc. after how many presents/toys/clothes, etc. sat around.
When they started hitting 18 we stopped and everyone realized, we could all buy our own stuff easier, and they knew all the stuff I went through (nearly loosing everything twice), that I was the first one debt free (no mortgage), made them reevaluate.

Parents still buy me gifts, but ONLY things I either specifically request (a new pocket knife this year) or things like socks I tend to wear holes into. Practicality has been so much better in gifts for me.

Um. Even the hoarder says you can get rid of that picture! Although, maybe you could use the frame for something...

we are on the annual quest quest to find gifts for dh parents that cost the right amount of money to fake the correct level of affection. This is made not easier by the fact that they have everything they need, can easily buy anything they could possibly want and have no hobbies (except visiting new places in order to check them off their list of places they have visited), indulgences (entertainment or luxuries) or vices (food, alcohol, tobacco, sex) I found a book called “when your adult children disappoint you” but dh said no.

my mom is getting placemats that I know she will use and like but has not seen. My dad may be getting a garlic baker - I made it - if my mom thinks he will use it. Otherwise, he’s getting nothing. I will say “merry Christmas, I didn’t get you a present.” And he will say “thank you. Merry Christmas.”

dh is getting three months of trash service. With accessories. He wants to put a car lift in the garage. So I restarted the trash service and I am going to spend Thursday mornings from January until I finish (deadline end of march) bravely clearing out and organizing in the studio barn so that he can get a car lift in there.

also, he can throw away the can of trash he has filled in the 22 months we have had no trash service, and we can do a big cleanup of the yard. I think it’s a good present.

Trash service is a good gift. Years ago I got DH a one year service for recycling services because he kept every newspaper we received, intending to drive them to the recycling center, but that car trip never happened. Our paper reculing area was overflowing.

Now is the time I can mention one of my favorite gifts, the UnGift. I get DH to agree to toss something sitting around here
And that is my “gift.”